Nigeria’s federal government says it has spent N6.2 billion to train and equip 16,820 Bauchi youths in the art of smartphone repairs to enable them to become financially self-reliant.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development announced the development on Wednesday.
Sadiya Farouq, the minister who made the disclosure while speaking at the flag-off of the N-Skills (Smart Phone Repairs) Programme in Bauchi on Wednesday, said the programme is used to pilot the N-Skills programme, which is part of the N-Power non-graduate programme.
She said that it is consistent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“The programme is designed to train, tool and transition marginalized unemployed youths into the labour market for gainful employment. The Ministry is working with carefully selected consulting firms to provide the N-Skills training services for 6,475 unemployed youths across the Federation.
“The 6-week training is designed to equip target beneficiaries with life, vocational and entrepreneurship skills preparatory to the work-based learning during the 6 months apprenticeship.
“This will enable the target beneficiaries to meet the minimum technical and business requirements for certification by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and to enhance their entrepreneurial competences to successfully start and manage smart phone repairs and servicing businesses.
“Upon completion of the training, the target beneficiaries would be provided with a Starter Packs and deployed to Master Craft Persons for a 6-month apprenticeship,” the minister noted.
She stated further that under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project, which is part of the N-Power Junior programme, the ministry is setting up STEM Centers in 12 Federal and State Government secondary schools in Bauchi State to enhance digital literacy, functional skills acquisition, school infrastructure and teacher retraining and to contribute towards developing the human capital needed for a knowledge-driven economy.
She expressed optimism that if President Buhari approves expansion of the NSIP, the ministry will double job and wealth creation opportunities for the teeming youths of the Bauchi State.